Ruth Ann Penny, OCT, is already well acquainted with
the contents of her stack of binders from Laurentian University, even though
her February visit to the Sudbury-based university is still several weeks
away.

Laurentian’s School of Education has applied to the Ontario College of
Teachers for initial accreditation of a proposed consecutive teacher education
program for the Intermediate and Senior divisions. Penny is Chair of the
College’s Accreditation Committee and one of seven panel members on the
accreditation review panel who will examine Laurentian’s application.

This is Penny’s third accreditation review panel. “It’s important and
stimulating work,” she says. “You’re watching what’s happening on the cutting
edge of education.

“It’s an intense week with 12-hour days. I’ve already done 20 hours of
preparation, and we haven’t even got to Sudbury yet. People do it because
it’s intensely interesting.”

Penny, who formerly resided in northern Ontario, has a Bachelor of Education
from Laurentian, has taught for 34 years and is Vice-Chair of the
College Council.

The fact that the College accredits teacher education programs might be
one of its best-kept secrets, and yet accreditation is a core responsibility
of the teaching profession’s self-governing body.

The College has accredited more than 50 full- and part-time teacher education
programs in 18 Ontario university faculties of education. The Accreditation
Regulation, which came into effect in 2002, gave the College the responsibility
for accrediting programs of professional education in Ontario.

“We’re working with the faculties of education to ensure the quality of
teaching in Ontario,” says Janis Leonard, OCT, the College’s Manager of
Accreditation.

So how does the accreditation process work?

A faculty or school of education that intends to offer a teacher education
program in Ontario applies to the College. The College assigns a program
officer to work with the institution to prepare its submission for accreditation.
Fifteen requirements, covering areas such as curriculum, practicum and
faculty, must be met before a program can be accredited.

Once the materials are submitted, the College’s Accreditation Committee
issues a decision within six months.

An accreditation panel is constructed with the expertise and knowledge
to understand the requirements of the institution’s program, including
specialty programs. For example, panelists may be selected to provide a
First Nations, Métis or Inuit perspective. Each panel has at least six
members. At least three must be members of the College Council. Panel members
are to be objective.

Panelists are drawn from every corner of the province and from all disciplines
and levels. The idea is to achieve depth and breadth across a variety of
factors. Classroom teachers, principals, vice-principals, consultants and
teacher education faculty from other universities can serve as panelists,
and the College encourages their participation. Members are trained in
the process, the regulation requirements and report writing.

The College values input from the teaching profession and invites members
to participate on accreditation panels through advertisements in this magazine.

“Members and faculty provide an important voice in the accreditation process,”
says Leonard. “Our faculties value a peer-review process.”

E. Clyde Glasgow (foreground) and Annilee Jarvis, OCT, were among Accreditation
Committee members attending a training session at the College in February.

The panel reviews all documents submitted by the faculty. Panel members
visit the campus to interview program administrators, faculty members,
teacher candidates, associate teachers and others linked to the program.
The public is also invited to make submissions in writing or in person
to the panel.

The panelists and the assigned College program officer work quickly and
efficiently as a team. The pace is hectic and intense. College staff works
diligently to support the panel by co-ordinating the submission of documents
and managing the hundreds of details for the site visit, so that when panel
members land, they’re ready to go.

Typically, panel members arrive for the site visit on a Sunday, and will
meet that day to prepare for the next day’s faculty visit. They will be
looking for evidence that the school or faculty is meeting the program
requirements.

Monday and Tuesday are usually dedicated to interviews, meetings and faculty
tours during the work day, and in the evening, the panel shares its findings.
The panel will also meet evenings to prepare for the next day’s work. On
Wednesday and Thursday panel members discuss the review and construct a
draft report. Late Thursday the dean of the faculty of education answers
any outstanding questions. On Friday panel members review the draft report
a final time.

Penny views the accreditation process as a wonderful opportunity to build
partnerships with faculties and schools of education.

“Both sides are ready and nobody anticipates a surprise. This isn’t a
gotcha exercise,” she explains. “This is meant to be a meaningful examination
and one that draws from multiple perspectives. It’s meant to be thorough
but not antagonistic.”

Members and faculty provide an important voice
in the accreditation process.

The draft report is sent to the faculty or school of education, which
has 20 days to review it for factual accuracy. The final report and any
faculty response are forwarded to the Accreditation Committee. The committee
decides if a program will be accredited, accredited with conditions or
denied. Its written decisions are public and posted on the College web
site under Accreditation
Reviews.

“From the perspective of a faculty of education, the self-study required
by the accreditation process provides an opportunity to thoroughly examine
one’s own program,” says Colleen Willard-Holt, Dean of the Faculty of Education
at Wilfrid Laurier University. “It allows us to highlight areas that are
outstanding and others that may need attention and perhaps a redistribution
of resources.

“Accreditation also provides some consistency across BEd programs in the
province, assuring that all certificate holders have a similar baseline
of pedagogical knowledge and skills.”

New and renewing teacher education programs in Ontario must be reviewed
on a cyclical basis. Renewing programs are reviewed every seven years and
new programs more frequently. Last year, the College worked with faculty
deans to harmonize the review of their programs, so that all of a faculty’s
various programs are reviewed at the same time.

Whether a faculty is large, medium or small, the same process and due
diligence for accreditation are followed. In this way, accreditation provides
quality assurance for Ontario’s teacher education programs, letting students,
parents and the public know that the teachers in our classrooms are highly
educated professionals. When programs are up for review, the College welcomes
feedback from members of the public, who are invited to provide input
through our web site.

“Through the process of initial and ongoing accreditation of pre-service
programs, the Accreditation Committee is able to assure the public that
teacher candidates are being educated as intended,” says Bill Kirkwood,
an Accreditation Committee member. “As well, the committee becomes aware
of emerging issues related to the education of prospective teachers, ensuring
that teacher education will be kept up to date.”

Accrediting teacher education programs maintains public confidence in
Ontario’s certified teachers and protects the public interest. The ultimate
beneficiaries are Ontario students.